Biography
Leila Mourad, also spelled Layla Morad (Arabic: ليلى مراد; February 17, 1918 – November 21, 1995), was a renowned Egyptian singer and actress, celebrated as one of the leading superstars in Egypt and the Arab world during her time. Born Lilian Zaki Ibrahim Mourad into a patriotic Egyptian Jewish family in 1918 in Cairo's El Daher District, she adopted the stage name Leila Mourad. At the age of nine, she debuted on stage at Saalat Badi'a, one of Cairo's most popular music halls, founded in 1926 by actress and dancer Badia Masabni, who became her patron. Her film debut came at fifteen in the 1932 movie "Al-Dahaaya" (The Victims), originally a silent film to which her song "The Day of Departure" was later added when it was converted into a talkie.
Trained by her father and Dawood Hosni, a fellow Jewish musician who composed the first Arabic operetta, Mourad performed songs composed by Hosni, including "Hairana Leh Bein El-Eloub" (Why Can't You Choose Among Lovers) and "Howa el dala'a ya'ani khessam" (Does Dalliance Mean Avoiding Me?). Her career advanced significantly when the esteemed Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab cast her in his 1938 film "Yahia el Hob" (Viva Love!). Over the next six years following that film's success, she starred in five best-selling movies directed by Togo Mizrahi, cementing her status as Egypt’s leading actress. In 1945, she starred in "Layla Bint al-Fuqara" ("Layla, Daughter of the Poor"), directed by Anwar Wagdi, whom she soon married. She went on to appear in about 20 more films, notably "Ghazel el-Banat" ("The Flirtation of Girls"), also directed by and co-starring Wagdi, and featuring Nagib al-Rihani and Abdel Wahab in their final film roles.
In 1953, Mourad was chosen as the official singer of the Egyptian revolution. However, rumors accusing her of visiting Israel and financially supporting its military sparked suspicions of espionage, leading some Arab radio stations to boycott her. She denied these claims, no evidence was found, and the allegations were eventually dismissed. Mourad retired at age 38 after the commercial failure of her last film, "Al Habib al Majhoul" (The Unknown Lover), the banning of her revolutionary song "With Unity, Order, and Work," which praised the 1952 Free Officers revolution, and the outbreak of the 1956 war. Although her films were immensely popular, her singing career was often overshadowed by Um Kulthum, who dominated Egypt’s musical scene. Mourad made a few brief appearances during Ramadan 1970, when she was scheduled to present Salah Jaheen's "Fawazeer Ramadan" (Ramadan Puzzles), a traditional daily radio program during the holy month.
Leila Mourad passed away in a Cairo hospital in 1995.
